Maintain salon nails at home between visits with this simple, damage-free routine.

Yes, you are seeing correctly! 🙂 ~ The nails on my right hand are painted in a soft pink and the nails on my left hand are painted a vibrant red. This is deliberate so you can see the 2 colors that come with the nail kit.

I have a total love-hate relationship with my nails. I absolutely love how they look with a clean, classic French manicure or a classic red polish on both my hands and feet. For eighteen years, I have gone to the exact same manicurist in the Columbus, Ohio area. I adore her—she is incredibly professional, gentle, and we have become very close over nearly two decades. I wouldn’t dream of permanently breaking up with her or going to anyone else for my regular treatments.

However, I run into a couple of major logistical hurdles. First, I travel continuously between Ohio and Florida on a monthly basis, which makes it incredibly difficult to know exactly when I’ll be back in Ohio for a necessary acrylic fill. Second, while I can easily relax during a pedicure, sitting perfectly still during a manicure drives me completely batty. I despise sitting that long and just can’t seem to unwind in the manicure chair.

During the 2020 lockdown, I bought a Dremel tool and a curing lamp to do my own nails, but I eventually got lazy and went back to the salon. Recently, caught out of state and desperately needing a fill, I finally found the perfect strategy to maintain my nails myself between my regular salon visits. If you are a woman on the go who needs a flexible, flawless backup plan to extend your salon results, here is exactly how I do it.

The Product That Saved My Regrowth

It all started with a trip to Target in early August. Years ago, I shut my thumb in a car door, leaving me with a permanently wavy thumbnail. I picked up the Manucurist Active Smooth Nail Concealer and Strengthener with Natural Sheer Effect, hoping it might help smooth things out. Not only did it treat my thumb, but I fell in love with it for all of my nails. At the time, my acrylic overlay had grown out significantly to where half of my natural nail was exposed, and I was out of state away from my Ohio manicurist. I brushed this concealer over my nails, and it immediately filled in the gap from the regrowth, perfectly extending the life of my manicure until I could travel back to Ohio.

Safely Swapping Between Salon Acrylic Overlay and Natural Gel

When I want to give my nails a break from acrylic overlays between visits or completely refresh my hands on the road, I use a precise system to clear away old product without causing damage.

I picked up the Manucurist Xtrem Flash Long-Lasting Gel Nail Polish Kit at Target for $89 (a fantastic $150+ value that includes simple instructions and the LED curing light). To transition my nails safely, I paired it with ONYX Professional Soak Off Nail Polish Remover.

Here is my damage-free removal and application routine:

1. Soak: I saturate a cotton pad with the ONYX remover, place it on the nail, and secure it using the small nail clips included in the Manucurist kit.
2. Cycle: I leave the clip on for 10 minutes, use a buffing block to gently remove the loosened gel and acrylic layers, and repeat this process three times. This lifts the old product completely without scraping or harming the natural nail.
3. Polish: Following the kit’s clear instructions, I apply one coat of base, two coats of polish, and one top coat, curing under the light after each step.

In just 45 minutes, I have strong, ultra-shiny, freshly manicured nails if I am removing what remains of the acrylic overlay prior to painting my nails. Otherwise, if I am just changing polish? I am done in less than 20 minutes! When I’m traveling and want to change the gel color easily without messy cotton rounds, I use the Manucurist Magic Dip Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover Pot—you just dip your finger right into the built-in sponge.

Maintaining Your Pedicure and Foot Care Between Salon Trips

While I still fully enjoy letting my manicurist handle my pedicures when I’m in Ohio, traveling back and forth to Florida means I need an excellent maintenance routine to keep my feet beach-ready between appointments. Here are the exact tools I use:

- The Heavy Lifting: The COSLUS Professional 5-in-1 Electric Nail File features a wider grinder that effortlessly manages rough skin and toenails.
- Prep and Shape: I keep lines clean with the Olive & June Nail Clippers and Toe Pusher, shaping with Trim Heavy & Medium Duty Black Salon Boards and smoothing edges with Trim Fine Pink Salon Boards.
- Detailing: Trim Wood Cuticle Sticks keep everything neat, and the Trim 4-Step Color-Coded Buffing Block adds a gorgeous shine.
- Overnight Hydration: To counteract the drying effects of travel, I apply Olive & June Callus Removal Heel Balm to rough patches at night and slip on ZenToes Moisturizing Heel Socks to wake up with incredibly soft skin. The Olive & June Heel Balm is AMAZING! I have dry skin which ultimeletly results in dry cracking heels. This product works winders and you may wish to consider trying it. The only other product I have tried for my heels is the Kerasal Intensive Foot Repair Ointment that works even better.

Learning to maintain my own nails between salon visits has given me the ultimate freedom. I can still see the manicurist I adore whenever I am in Ohio, but I never have to stress about awkward regrowth or long, restless salon sessions when I’m away.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post! As a ShopMy affiliate partner, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love, have purchased with my own money, and use myself!